The present invention relates to the recovery and salvaging operation for dummy targets such as a dragged or towed drone which simulates a real target for target practice, the drone being normally fastened to a towing aircraft during the exercise.
Dummy targets of the type to which the invention pertains are generally used by the air forces of various countries. These dummy targets are used during exercises, for example, training exercises of air to air shooting using various kinds of weapons. These dummy targets are drones, being towed and dragged behind, for example, a regular aircraft. Such a target simulating drone is comprised, for example of a center spar to which are connected air foils of various sizes and which carry also a hit indicator. The equipment, i.e. the hit indicating sensor, as well as the drone itself, is usually regarded to be a one or single use object, i.e. once it has been used it is regarded as disposble. Generally speaking, this means that the drone following a mission, is separated from the towing aircraft, and it is not salvaged or recovered, unless it is provided with a parachute to permit recovery after landing.
German Pat. No. 25 11 984 discloses, for example, a recovery system for towed target simulating drones, which revovery system includes a parachute, triggered whenever the tension in the towing cable drops. Herein then, one provides the end of a towing cable as it is fastened to the drone, as an electrically conductive device, which serves as an electrical contact cooperating with an electrical contact ring on the drone body but being electrically insulated in relation to the skin of that drone. Upon contact making engagement, a control circuit activates parachute deployment. Particularly as the towing cable drops, the metallic cable engages this contact ring, and closes the circuit that includes that contact ring, and the connection to the control circuit is used as a trigger signal for ejecting and deploying the parachute.
It can readily be seen that this device and arrangement poses the following paradoxical problems. It is clear that one wants to recover as much equipment as possible. On the other hand, a successful mission will lead, at least, to severe damage, possibly, the distruction of the drone. Even if the parachute system is not damaged, or only to a minor extent, it may still not be worthwhile to recover what is left of the drone. On the other hand, the sensor device if, in fact, successfully signaled a hit, may well be recoverable, even though the drone itself is no longer worth salvaging. In this case then, it is either not recoverable because the parachute system was destroyed or one will recover the entire drone with sensor, including whatever is left of the drone, if it just so happened that the parachute system was not destroyed.